Dirk Nowitzki and The Dallas Mavericks Attemptig to Break the Curse

Once the 2005-06 Dallas Mavericks suffered a heart-breaking defeat in the NBA Finals to the Miami Heat (after being up two games to none), the Mavericks luck seemed as if it could go nowhere else but up.

During the next season Dallas ended the year with the best overall record in the NBA (65-17, .817 winning percentage), achieving the greatest single season record in the 27 years of the Mavericks existence.

Come playoff time, the first seed and well respected Mavericks matched up against the eighth seed underdog Warriors.

In another unexpectedly calamitous defeat, Dallas lost in six games to the overpowering Golden State Warriors, ending their season much earlier than anticipated.

Since the '06-'07 NBA season, the Mavericks have not raised many eyebrows (trading Devin Harris to the New Jersey Nets for Jason Kidd, along with GM Marc Cuban's insider trading charges).

Despite the continuous flow of low blows for the Mavericks, this present offseason has given fans and the players some hope to make it back to their '06-'07 NBA season form.

The Breaking of the Curse

With the signing of PF/C Drew Gooden, Dallas has the opportunity to start the former Kansas star at the center position, upgrading their five spot instantaneously over the old veteran Erick Dampier.

Shawn Marion's addition immediately brings extreme versatility to the table, something that has not been there in recent years for this Mavericks team.

Marion can play numerous positions which enables him to be able to defend players ranging from the SG position to the PF. Moreover, the Matrix has been known to produce in virtually every single statistical category, portraying himself as a Lamar Odom type of athlete.

Want to keep reading? Click here!